Diablo III goes open beta this weekend

Mark Raby, 20th April 2012

For three days only, Diablo fans will get to test out the newest entry in the heralded Diablo franchise. All that players need is a free Battle.net account which, if they're into games like Diablo, they more than likely already have.

The open beta test runs from April 20 at 3:01 PM Eastern Time to April 23 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. It gives developer Blizzard a chance to put the game's online servers through a stress test before the title is officially released.

To be clear, this only applies to the PC version of the game. Those who only play on the PS3 or Xbox 360 will have to wait until the final version is launched.

Fans of its two predecessors are understandably excited about the potential of a new entry in the series. Diablo III will, of course, be a hack-and-slash adventure with epic environments and awesome graphics.

Diablo II came out in 2000, so it's understandable why gamers are salivating for a brand new experience. Despite being 11 years old, the game does have a strong following and has received continuous updates over the years, but Diablo III was built from the ground up to take the fanstastical world to the next level.

The game is arguably one of the most anticipated PC titles of the entire year.

There is some question as to whether or not the game will live up to its hype, but nevertheless, the sheer brand power of Diablo is sure to make it a blockbuster hit, a much-needed one in a day and time where PC gaming is on the decline.